


Another Life

by all_aboard_my_ship



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, M/M, Oneshot, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-19
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-02-05 07:52:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1810894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_aboard_my_ship/pseuds/all_aboard_my_ship
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In every life, everybody found each other</p><p>In every universe, everybody found each other</p><p>No matter what, they were all brought together, whether they remembered the life they lived in fear of titans or not.<br/>Everybody was there.</p><p>Except for one, green eyed brat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A pair of blue green eyes haunt me.

They have for the past thirty years.

They have for every life I've lived.

I know I should get over my past life, but I have found every person close to me in the last life, except for the boy with the bright eyes, yet he was one of the closest, maybe even the closest person to me, why not him. Why wasn't he allowed to live another life. Hanji had no idea either. The mad scientist had become an archaeologist in this life, determined to prove that this planet, this universe was the one that once held titans. We had been through many universes, in every single one, everyone found each other somehow. 

Except for one brown-haired green-eyed brat.

Mikasa had grown worried, even though she had her parents now, and had watched them grow old many times, she could never forget Eren and what he gave her, she still wore a plain red scarf, in every life she would buy one as soon as she could, or demand one from her parents. Her parents didn't remember. Nobody remembered apart from those who experienced the titans first hand. No one knew why but Armin came up with his view of it, only those who knew the terror of the titans and had to experience them so much that it was engraved into their brains, so much so that it stayed with each of them for the rest of that life and the rest of their lives, due to this constant awareness, we could remember every life we were in from that point on too because in every life, the titan life resurfaced. I got the gist of it, but I don't fully comprehend it like Armin, Hanji and Erwin do. Armin has an answer to our memories, but even he couldn't explain Eren's absence. I would say I was worried for the kid but I had passed that point lives ago. Armin had suggested that he was out of sync and was in another universe, but I refused to believe that, how come everybody was with us, everybody but him. The boy I loved. The boy I love. The boy who was more a man than anyone of the scum that ruled many lives ago.

I look out at Hanji who was running around screaming excitedly in the giant hole, somewhat an archaeological site, Erwin and Armin helping them while Mikasa watched, hand tightly gripping on her scarf. The rest of the 104th trainee squad was there too, choosing to wander around than watch Hanji dig a hole. The sun sits high in the sky, we're near the coast, why Hanji wanted to come here, I'm not sure but as I stare out at the horizon, I feel a sense of familiarity. My vision blurs, it always does when I think of those times, more specifically when I think of eyes that shone with determination, loyalty and passion.

A loud scream alerted me of Hanji's latest find. Mikasa leaped into the hole before I had managed to reach the edge of the pit. 

What could cause this much of noise? What had Hanji found? What it anything to do with Eren? The Survey Corps?

Peering into the pit, I was meet with a gleam, a shimmer, a sparkle, like someone had bottled all the stars in the sky and shoved them in one spot, a spot that brought hope to me, one that warmed me, made my heart race.

Then brought me down straight after.

Eren was there, right in front of me, like I could reach out and touch him. My hand reaches out, wanting to feel the abnormally warm body that I used to spend nights with, my ear pressed to his chest as I listened to the sound of life.

But I couldn't.

He was encased in a crystal coffin. But coffins are made for the dead, this was not a coffin, this was a cell. A prison that holds an Eren that is not dead, but not live either. No one really understood how titans worked. All we knew was they weren't dead, that was all that the basement told us, that was all we knew, that was all I knew. 

Eyes shut, Eren lay there, asleep for all these years. 

I was so close, closer than I had ever been to Eren in the lives between this one and the one where I was known as Humanity's strongest. Yet he was so far away. I felt like I had control, and none at all. Eren was asleep and I couldn't wake him. My mind wanders back, back to a life that would resurface, the life that started all these memories, the life that I had Eren, an Eren that was not out of reach, the life that I had Eren, and the life in which I lost him. I remember every moment, everything I tried to do to wake him. Nights that I stayed by encased Eren. Nights where I would scream and bash the transparent surface, where I would throw punches at it till my knuckles were bloody, I never dirtied the surface, dust and dirt never clung to it, it just couldn't. Nights where I would feel my façade shatter, where I would hug it, hoping that it would give me some of the warmth that Eren used to. It never did, it just took my warmth. It left me cold, not just cold on the outside, but throughout my body. My tears always threatened to spill, I never let them, I was Humanity's Strongest. Sometimes Mikasa would join me, we would sit there, telling each other stories. That night tears escaped my eyes as I realised that she knew things about Eren that I never got to find out, he never stayed around that long, even though he lived, Eren saw the day when the war was over, when we had won.

Eren's determination was what saved his life. It was also what ended it. He wanted to kill every. Last. Titan. So he took it into his own hands and encased himself. A weak huff left my mouth as I realised he didn't really succeed at killing every last titan because technically he was still alive, that brat half assed another thing, like he used to do half assed cleaning when he was first under my control. 

"Levi, you're crying."

I was crying? My cheek are wet, my vision's blurry, I didn't notice till now. I didn't realise how much I miss the brat. His smile, his eyes. Eyes that are closed, right in front of me. I would hope to see him in another life, but I know now.

Something has to die to be reborn.

Eren never died.

He could never be reborn.

Never could live a life without titans.

Now I have to live my lives without Eren.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annie?
> 
> (Anime spoilers, but that's expected..)

Why was I crying this much?

Why did Eren effect me this much?

I blame it on my lives, softening me up, but deep inside I knew it was the once unknown emotion, love. I think back to the times I spent with Eren. The nights I spent talking about pointless things. The nights where it almost seemed like that we lived in a world without titans. The night before the last fight, where Eren told me everything, how he, how he loved me, I found myself claiming his lips for my own without second thought. I couldn't explain why I did it. Maybe his bright eyes had worn down my hard exterior, maybe it was just my emotions finally breaking the dam I had made over time. Before we got too far, I stopped him, promising him that we could go further the next night. The next night came. I spent it alone. Maybe in the heat of victory Eren forgot, maybe that's why he left me. I would never get to know.

Deep in thought, I didn't realise when the 104th had gathered around until I looked up. All of their eyes were shiny. Expect for Armin. Who was deep in thought like he always was. 

"Annie."

Armin's voice startled the group, me too, but I managed to hide my shock.

"Annie, how did you get out?"

Annie, how could I forget about Annie. She didn't come out of her crystal coffin, at least not while I was alive, she just turned up in the next life, I never questioned it.

Her mouth was gaping like a fish, she was trying to find an answer, but I knew that she probably knew less than Armin.

"I. I. I don't know, I just felt the need to come back, so I did. I woke up, the unbreakable coffin just, just dissolved. When I came to, the titans were gone. I think you guys were dead. I thought eveyone I knew was dead, but someone recognised me, and I was shot."

I felt anger bubble from within, I tried to keep myself from lashing out, but judging by the scared look on Armin's face, I was radiating a deathly vibe. I stepped towards Annie, words accentuating every step.

"You. didn't. think. to. share. this. with. us. sooner?"

Annie's face contorted.

"I don't know, maybe I was trying to forget that life? Maybe I didn't want to remember it, maybe I just wanted to fit in again?"

A light hold on my shoulder tells me I should back down, I do, only because I feel the helplessness wash over me when I realise that I can't bring Eren back. He had to feel that he need to come back. I felt the anger slowly creeping through my body, why, WHY did he not feel the need to come back, why didn't he feel the need to stay. Why did he voluntarily leave me. Maybe Eren didn't love me, maybe he thought I didn't really love him. If only I had more time.

If only I had my lives beside him. I'm sure I wouldn't get sick of him, each Universe providing barriers that always kept every life interesting. I would have shown him everything. The faces everyone wore told me that they felt a very similar away. We had all lost a friend, even though some of them ended on a bad note, it was a new life. A new start, a path that just included all the good bits.

I glance down, the ground was spotted with drops of rain. But it wasn't raining. I was crying again. Years worth of tears flowed out of my eyes as sadness enveloped me, crushed me. I did the only thing I could I do, I ran. I ran until the pain in my chest took over, bringing me to my knees. Why was I so soft, so weak. Did I really love Eren so much? I don't know. I never got to love him. I never got the chance. When it was just within my reach, it was yanked away. Maybe because finally things were going good and then it crashed. Maybe because I spent so many lives with a what if. Maybe I grew soft over time. I'm not sure, I'm no Armin.

All I know is that Eren needs to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chaper to go. Sorry that was short. I just felt like it needed to be ended here..
> 
> I have read the manga, and am up to date so I have some headcannons on how my story would fit in, but to avoid spoilers here, you can come chat to my on tumblr, I love having new friends owo.
> 
> Sorry for my bad English, it is my first and only language so I have no excuses...
> 
> I'm feeling in the oneshot prompt zone. Feel free to leave a prompt in the comments or in my ask on tumblr!


	3. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, it's been over 6 month since I updated, and I just apologise.
> 
> Forgive me if this sounds too much like an essay.

Eren's POV

 

What's bugging me?

Stop it.

Where am I?

Oh yeah, now I remember, the crystal creeping across me like vines before sealing me in their cold embrace. 

And then, peace.

It no longer feels peaceful, I don't belong here.

 

I'm getting out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Levi's POV

 

I slept where I fell that night. I had no will to move, so I didn't. As the sun appeared on the horizon, my face hardened, trapping the emotions that threatened to spill. By the time I stood up to wander back to the rest of the group, my face already was wearing the infamous blank emotion that time had just managed to wear away. 

I looked down on the group, all laying side by side around Eren's crystal. Tired eyes looked back at me. I climbed back into the pit and sat beside them, I couldn't care less about the dirt, not any more.

Jean spoke up first.

"Funny huh, that the suicidal bastard didn't even kill himself in the end, haha."

He awkwardly trailed off. An uncomfortable silence fell over them, Jean tried again.

"Here we are again, all together in the world that we first met, or the world that we first remembered we had meet, ha. ha.."

Armin took pity on Jean and joined in.

"It's lovely actually, look how the place has changed, it's so different!"

 Connie got the hint.

"Now the only thing that I have to be worried about eating me is Sasha."

She let out a high pitched indignant "Hey!", which made Christina giggle, she quickly stopped after Ymir swept down and whispered in her ear, causing a blush to bloom across her face, everyone shared glances, even though they didn't hear what had been said, they all knew the context of it.

Mikasa however was not paying attention to them, she was staring intently at Eren's encased face, her staring caught Levi's eye, he too started staring at him, causing a chain reaction as the whole group turned around to see what he was looking at. The crystal was not reflecting the sunlight, instead it was emitting its own. Levi's pulse started racing despite his attempts at calming it down. In order to not get his hopes up, Levi managed to remain rooted to his spot, unlike Mikasa and Armin who bolted towards it. The group was watching the eerily glowing crystal, each one wearing a surprised look on their face, Annie however wore a gentle smile, she recognised the cold glow as she had seen it from the inside herself. In the corner of her eye she saw Levi still in the same spot. Annie strode over and stood next to Levi, she parted her lips very slightly. 

"You know you're allowed to let your hopes get up."

"Hm?"

"That's the light I saw."

Levi averted his eyes to the ground.

"Thank you."

As soon as the words reached Annie's ear, Levi bolted towards the glowing form that contained Eren. Levi was worn out, his arms yearning to wrap around the body that was trapped away from him all those lives ago. The light faded, revealing the crystal still intact with Eren still encased inside it. Levi tentatively extended his arm, slowly tracing his fingertips across the cold, hard and unchanged surface. His energy and will to continue flowed out of his body, it seemed as though his body had known Levi had given up before he realised it himself.

As Levi's legs gave out, his eyes focused on the ground. No tears fell. He wasn't screaming, yelling or screeching. He wasn't angry, sad, frustrated, annoyed,. heartbroken or sick of it. He was empty. Nothing left to look forward to, nothing to get his hopes up, it didn't work, it didn't happen, Eren wasn't going to come back. To be brought down twice in the timespan of 24 hours was too much for Levi, he was just, feeling empty.

In this state, Levi barely moved when a heavy person-shaped object collapsed on top of his crumpled body. While staring at the ground, he had failed to notice the crystal at arms length disintegrate like a titan, exposing Eren. In his half awake state, he failed to stand up and fell on top of the crouching Levi.

Levi's plan was to just wait until the person or thing to get off him but when it starting trying to get up like a newborn foal, he decided to look up. Levi was meet with two circles of captured sea, with the colour of a sea that sailors brag about sailing, rich and powerful, yet shimmered like a calm day just off the coast. Despite the power held in those eyes, the only emotion Levi could read was confusion.

Before recognition swept through.

Hands that Levi had almost forgotten, no matter how hard he tried to remember them, cupped his cheeks. Eyes that Levi could never forget, no matter how hard he tried to sometimes at 2am, locked on his own.

Lips that Levi would never need, nor ever have the chance to forget, brushed over his before firmly, yet somehow softly, pressing against his, in an innocent but also intimate fashion.

A kiss that was meant to be shared the night that they won, a night that Levi spent alone.

But now he wasn't alone.

A small smile bloomed on Levi's face as he sunk into Eren's embrace, not minding at all the state of the ground they were laying on because in that moment, all that mattered was Eren.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels kinda unfinished, but finished. Let me know what you think please!
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING MY FIRST EVER FINISHED FANFICTION.

**Author's Note:**

> ~I'm too lazy/busy to update my other fanfiction so I decided to write a oneshot instead.  
> I hope it wasn't too bad!
> 
> I have an idea that could turn this into a happy ending but I don't know if you guys would like that..
> 
> I was insprired by "I Don't Want To Be Here Anymore" by Rise Against. This story is no way like that but there was the quote, "Something has to die to be reborn" So yeah. ^.^


End file.
